[Adopted 5-20-1983 by Ord. No. 118 (Ch.
232, Art. I, of the 1992 Code)]
[Amended 9-18-1992 by Ord. No. 279; 6-21-2002 by Ord. No.
364]
Any natural person desiring to vote in any municipal
election must register to vote, unless that person is identified,
on the Town's tax records, as an owner of record of real property
in the Town.
[Amended 6-21-2002 by Ord. No. 364; 4-15-2011 by Ord. No.
463]
Persons desiring to register may do so in person at the Town Hall or by mail as provided in § 378-10. Registration forms shall require the person's full name, birth date, present residence address within the Town (including street address and box number, if applicable) and the date when such person commenced his/her residence within the Town. (Persons claiming the right to vote as a record owner of real property in the Town but not identified as such on the Town's tax records shall submit proof of such record ownership, showing the date such ownership commenced.) Registrants shall provide the Registrar with appropriate proofs as provided in § 26-4. Registration is not complete until the application has been approved and accepted by the Registrar.
[Amended 9-16-1988 by Ord. No. 207; 9-18-1992 by Ord. No.
279; 4-19-1996 by Ord. No. 298; 6-21-2002 by Ord. No. 364]
Persons may register, by mail or in person,
during normal business hours of the Town on every day of every month
of every year except Saturdays, Sundays and Town holidays; provided,
however, that registration of qualified voters shall cease 30 days
preceding any general or special election and recommence on the first
hour of business on the next regular business day following the general
or special election. If necessary for the performance of registration
or for the convenience of the eligible voters of the Town, the Board
of Elections may designate additional days, Saturdays, Sundays or
holidays as registration days, provided that notice of registration
is given in at least one newspaper published in Sussex County, Delaware,
and having general circulation in Town, not less than four days before
the additional registration days, and by posting a notice thereof
in at least one public place in Town. Any person who has registered
shall continue to be registered unless removed in accordance with
the provisions of this article. No person shall be entitled to vote
in any Town election unless such person is identified on the Town's
tax records as an owner of record of real property in the Town or
registered to vote under this article.
A.
The Town Council shall appoint the Town Manager to
be the Registrar, and he or she may appoint one or more Town employees
as assistant registrars.
[Amended 9-16-1988 by Ord. No. 207]
B.
The Registrar shall be the custodian of the permanent
registration records. Records may not be removed from Town Hall without
the express permission of the Registrar. The Registrar shall also
review and approve the applications for registration.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Section 232-5, Removal of registrants
from voting rolls, as amended 5-16-1986 by Ord. No. 173, 9-16-1988
by Ord. No. 207 and 6-21-2002 by Ord. No. 364, which immediately followed
this section, was repealed 1-16-2009 by Ord. No. 445.
A change of address or residence within the
Town shall not disqualify any person as a voter in the Town of Bethany
Beach. Such voter shall, upon proper identification at the polls,
be permitted to fill out a change of address form and to vote if he
is otherwise qualified.
Any registered voter who changes his or her
name, by marriage or otherwise, and continues to qualify as a voter
within the Town shall not be disqualified as a voter in the Town of
Bethany Beach. Such voter shall, upon proper identification at the
poll, be permitted to fill out a change of name form and to vote if
he or she is otherwise qualified.
Persons appearing to vote shall present proof of identity and address in accordance with § 26-4.
The books of registered voters shall be of the
same general type as those used by the County Board of Elections and
shall be of a type which shall require the signature of the voter
at the time of the registration of the voter.
[Amended 9-16-1988 by Ord. No. 207; 6-21-2002 by Ord. No.
364]
The Town Council, members of the Election Board,
the Registrar, assistant registrars, any candidate for Town election
office or any registered voter may challenge the right to be registered
of any person applying to be registered. Any challenger shall state
the grounds of challenge, and the same shall be entered in the registration
book. Upon challenge, if the applicant for registration shall then
withdraw his application, the Registrar shall note in the registration
book that the application has been voluntarily withdrawn. If the applicant
does not withdraw his application, the Registrar shall, within five
working days after said registration day, make a determination as
to whether the challenge shall be sustained or rejected and shall
cause an appropriate entry to be made in the registration book. If
the challenge is sustained, the applicant shall be notified of his
right to appeal the Registrar's decision to the Town Council at a
regular meeting of the Board.
[Amended 3-13-1998 by Ord. No. 323; 6-21-2002 by Ord. No.
364]
Any person who is unable to register in person at the Town Hall shall be permitted to register by mail. To register by mail, a person shall request, either verbally, by e-mail, or in writing, that an application be forwarded to a stated address. Within three working days of receipt of the request, the Registrar shall send the registration form and instructions to the person requesting to be registered. Forms shall provide spaces for obtaining the information outlined in § 378-2 above. The completed registration form must be received by the Registrar not later than 30 days before any election in which the person desires to vote, and shall be accompanied by a photocopy of appropriate proof of identity and of residency or property ownership within the Town, as appropriate.
